Precious Light
by Rainbow Breaker
Summary: The Ministry has an opening, and Hermione Granger is just the girl for the job. But complications arise & she must participate in the Ministry's new version of community service: taking prejudiced Purebloods to the Muggle world toshange their thoughts on Mudbloods. It's quite possibly the worst idea ever, and to make it worse? Hermione has to take none other than Draco Malfoy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: New Story! The "Dramione gets sent to the Muggle world for some obscure reason" cliché. Whoo hoo! **

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter

The Mission

Decisions are important things. There are right decisions. There are wrong decisions. But perhaps the most bothersome trait about decisions is that the right ones are often time the hardest.

I knew a great deal about decisions as my time at Hogwarts drew to a close. It was time to decide my future. I wanted to make the right decisions.

My life was finally falling into place. The war was over. My parents' memories had been restored. Voldemort was defeated. And, right now, I was ecstatic.

I sat curled up on my bed. For once, I was actually alone in the Seventh Year Girls' dormitory. I was holding in my hands an unassuming piece of slightly crinkled parchment. This parchment would change my life. This parchment was my future. I looked over it again to read it one more time.

_ "Dear Miss Granger,_

_Your application for the job of Departmental Head of Rights for Magical Creatures is under careful consideration. I would like to conduct an interview with you myself. Please come to my office on Saturday at two o'clock._

_Hoping you are well,_

_Minister of Magic_

_Kingsley Shacklebolt"_

It was perfect. I loved that piece of parchment right down to the official stamp of the Ministry at the top. This was everything that I had worked for. I was the perfect candidate for a job at the Ministry. I knew Shacklebolt personally. They were highly impressed with my grades in school, and, of course, defeating the Dark Lord did look good on a resume'. Not only were they considering hiring me, but I was up for Departmental Head! If all went well then, after graduation, I would start my new job at the top of the Ministry.

I ran a brush through my frizzy curls as I prepared for my interview. Graduation was two days away so I was still in my Gryffindor dormitory at Hogwarts even though classes had stopped days ago. I gently took off my uniform and slipped into a set of official-looking black robes. I wanted to look professional.

I tied up my unruly curls and deposited my uniform on the red blankets of my bed. I lightly applied a dab of mascara to my brown eyes, trying to look older. As soon as I was finished, I grabbed that blessed piece of parchment and stumbled down the stairs into the common room.

Harry, Ron, and Ginny were all seated around a board of Wizarding Chess. I wasn't the best at the game, but I could tell that Harry was losing horrendously to Ginny. I didn't doubt that she was cheating.

"I'm off to my interview," I told them happily. My three friends looked up from their intense magical game.

"Hope it goes well," Ginny said hurriedly before calling a move to destroy Harry's queen piece. Harry grimaced in reply as he watched the gruesome battle of the pieces. A disturbingly happy smile twisted Ginny's face as she sighed to herself.

"Bye, Hermione," Ron and Harry chorused as they continued with their game. I had been hoping for a bit more excitement from my friends, but they were rather involved in their game. I rolled my eyes at them but crawled through the portrait door.

I fairly skipped down the halls with ill-contained glee. It was like watching my dreams come true before my very eyes. I came to an old door and slowly reached for the handle. I stepped lightly into Headmistress McGonagall's office after muttering the password.

"Hello, Miss Granger," McGonagall greeted cheerily from behind her desk. I gave her a smile which she returned. "Ready?" she asked. I nodded my head excitedly.

"I'm ready," I assured her as I stepped into the fireplace. She offered me a bag full of Floo powder.

"I'm sure you'll do wonderfully at you interview," she said kindly. I couldn't help the bubbly feeling that rushed through me. Of course I would do well! This interview was merely a formality. I knew Shacklebolt personally, and I was sure that all my hard work in school would pay off.

"Thank you, professor," I grinned. I took a pinch of Floo powder before aparating to the Ministry of Magic. The green flames enveloped me, and, a few seconds later, I arrived at the official building.

I dusted myself off before I set out for Shacklebolt's office. Wandering purposefully through the corridors, I reminded myself to breathe deeply and appear confident. I found a door with the Minister's name carefully engraved upon a name plaque. I visibly pulled myself to stand up straight before knocking on his door.

"Come in," a voice bellowed. I turned the door handle in my hands.

"Hello, Minister," I greeted as I walked in. Shacklebolt's office was interesting. It appeared to be just a Muggle office with the occasional magic item lying about. Kingsley gave me a reassuring smile.

"Hello, Miss Granger," the Minister's deep voice boomed cheerfully. He was dressed in regular robes with his single hoop earring hanging from his ear. "Please, have a seat." He gestured to a chair facing his seat. I gracefully sat down at his old wooden desk.

"Well, Miss Granger," the Minister began, "I must say that you have a rather impressive record following you. Quite a few 'O's to your name; aren't there?" He mused as he pulled out my application. I blushed lightly.

"I do try, sir," I said cordially. I think that the Muggle aspect of the office really put me at ease.

"I can see that," Shacklebolt said humorously as he took a sip of coffee. "You're quite an impressive candidate, Miss Granger. I don't think we have a more educated option." I beamed at him.

"Thank you, sir," I said cheerfully. The outlook for my job was looking good. I folded my hands neatly in my lap.

"But," Kingsley said as he laid my application on his wooden desk.

"But?" I questioned nervously as I stared wide eyed at the Minister. Kingsley gave heavy sigh.

"I'm afraid that your experience section of the application was a bit lacking," the Minister said awkwardly. I felt my jaw drop open as Kingsley resumed sipping coffee from his red mug.

"Sir, how can that be? I was part of a war. I feel as though that is quite an experience," I reasoned urgently. Shacklebolt gave me a sympathetic look.

"Of course it is, my dear," Kingsley said softly.

"Minister," I fought to keep my voice controlled, "you know me. You know what I've been through with Harry Potter himself."

"I know how well you handled yourself throughout the war," Kingsley said easily. "You were invaluable, and you have remarkable experience. Just not the right kind of experience."

"And what kind of experience is that?" I demanded huffily. Kingsley raised an eyebrow.

"You'll need people skills and stress management. I'm afraid you don't pick up either while destroying Horcruxes," Kingsley let out a chuckle. I stared at him in disbelief.

"I kept the Boy-Who-Lived from falling apart. I believe that is the highest form of stress management," I snapped. Kingsley rubbed his fingers over the top of his right eyebrow.

"Miss Granger, if it were up to me, then I would give you the job in a heartbeat," Kingsley's deep voice rumbled. I looked at the Minister. "But," he continued, "there are many other people in the Ministry who must also approve your application. Many of the have family members up for the job. I'm afraid you will have to sway them by getting people skills and stress management on your already impressive record." I breathed deeply before answering Kingsley.

"How would you suggest that I get such things on my application?" I asked as kindly as I could manage though in reality I wanted to throttle him. Kingsley picked up a quill in his hands.

"Community service," he said brightly. My heart stopped beating. "I've got a list of options right here." The Minister pulled out a lengthy piece of parchment. He scanned it furiously as he crossed off items with his quill. One of my hands reached up from its place folded in my lap, and I began to bite my fingernails nervously.

"No, that will never do," he murmured to himself. "No, no. Ah, Miss Granger? You're a Muggleborn. You've of course heard of my strides to abolish Pro-Pureblood laws?" Shacklebolt looked up from his parchment. I nodded my carefully pinned hair and stopped chewing on my nail.

"Yes, sir," I said bemusedly. Kingsley's brow furrowed as he continued to scribble through the list.

"Ah, perfect," he announced as he looked up. "I've got just the thing for you." I looked at him to continue. "You'll be taking a trip to the Muggle world."

"The Muggle world, sir?" I clarified. I was completely at a loss. What kind of community service for the Wizarding World could I do there?

"Yes," Shacklebolt continued. "The Dementors have been removed from Azkaban, and new programs have been implemented. We've started a program that requires Purebloods the Ministry deems 'inappropriately biased' towards the Muggles, and therefore Muggleborns, to spend six weeks in the Muggle world." I felt my mind go blank as I stared at Kingsley in his deep blue robes.

"A worthy cause, I'm sure," I said dryly. "But how do I fit into this?" Kingsley smiled.

"We send them with guides," he informed me gleefully. "Your job will be to guide one of our 'unfits,' as we like to call them, through the Muggle world for six weeks. Magic is prohibited for the both of you, and your location is a secret for your safety. You may write a reflection essay to turn in for your application. And, of course, the 'unfit' could testify about the program." I twirled my fingers nervously in my hands. Six magic-less weeks alone with a Pureblood who hated my bloodline? That sounded a little less than appealing.

"And you're sure this will help my application?" I asked the Minister. He took another lengthy sip of coffee.

"Positive," he smiled. "With an application like that you could get any job you wanted." I sighed deeply.

"I'll do it," I said firmly. Shacklebolt beamed at me.

"Excellent! I have the list of the 'unfits' here, if you would like me to see who you'll go with. We always send the next person on the list," the Minister explained. I shrugged my shoulder noncommittally.

"Alright," I said uninterestedly. Kingsley dug through a pile of loose pieces of parchments.

"Here it is," He said as he pulled out a very yellowed piece of the paper. I bit my lip in impatience. "Ah yes, good. Someone that I'm sure you know. How convenient." I sat up straighter in my chair as I peered to look at the parchment.

"Who?" I asked, my spirits rising. Kingsley looked at me with an odd smile on his face.

"Mr. Draco Malfoy."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter

The Talk

I stepped out of McGonagall's fireplace. My hair had come loose from its pins, and I had soot on my robes. I wiped at it furiously as I stormed out of the Headmistress's vacant office.

I billowed down the corridor. It was a Saturday, so most of the students were elsewhere enjoying their pre-summer freedom. I stalked angrily up to the portrait of the Fat Lady, muttered the password, and clambered into the common room. My friends were eagerly waiting there for me.

"Hermione," Ginny squealed as she wrapped her arms around my neck, "how did it go?" Harry and Ron also stared at me with the expectation written clearly across their faces. I felt my face darken as I ran a hand through my messed up hair.

"Terrible," I gritted through my teeth as I plopped down on my favorite chair in the Gryffindor common room. Concerned, my friends arranged themselves in a circle around me. A few minutes of silence passed as my friends silently debated who was going to initiate the talking. I stared vacantly at the floor beneath me. I could sense their furtive glances at one another before I heard someone clear their throat.

"What happened?" Harry asked from where he was sprawled out on the floor. I bit my lip but kept my gaze firmly on the ground beneath me. I stared with even more commitment at the floor of the common room.

"Well, the Minister said that I was the most educated applicant that they had," I began. I noticed out of the corner of my eye as a lopsided smile crossed Ron's face.

"Well, that's to be expected; now, isn't it?" Ron asked suavely. I blushed as I stared down at my robes. The final battle had been a year ago. That's when Ron and I had kissed. Since then, he had done nothing to make us an official couple. We were back to stolen glances and awkward smiles, and it was killing me. I didn't want to initiate the relationship; I was tired of doing that. I took a deep breath to calm myself before explaining to the faces before me.

"But he said that my application was incomplete. I needed more experience," I continued to tell my friends. Harry and Ginny exchanged a bewildered glance.

"More experience?" Ginny asked as her brow furrowed.

"You've destroyed Horcruxes, and they want you to have more experience?" Harry asked incredulously. I nodded my head miserably causing a few more curls to slip out of the pin.

"The Minister is under the impression that I need more people skills, so he's signed me up for community service," I told my friends. Ginny twirled a piece of vibrant red hair in her fingers.

"But Shacklebolt knows you," Ginny reasoned. "He must remember everything you did for Harry." As she said his name, Ginny slipped her hand into Harry's. I stared bitterly at their interlocked hands.

"Shacklebolt said that the other members of the Ministry would vote on my employment, and many of them have family members they would like to see get the job. He thought that the community service would sway their decision," I covered my eyes with my hands as the disappointment continued to well up in me.

"Really?" she asked. "What will you be doing?" I sighed heavily as I leaned back into the upholstery of my chair. I fingered my sooty robes in disdain.

"I will be taking a prejudiced Pureblood, who quite likely hates me, to spend six weeks in the Muggle world, where he'll quite likely kill me," I told them all sullenly. Harry ran a hand through his unruly black hair.

"You're babysitting Death Eaters in a magic-less world?" Harry said. I tilted my head at his summation of the program.

"I've heard about that program," Ginny chimed excitedly. "The Death Eaters who were sent to Azkaban can get quite a few years off of their sentence for good behavior and participation in this program."

"Hermione's going to watch a prisoner?" Ron demanded furiously. He rose up from his seat and walked to stand in front of me.

"They aren't all prisoners, Ron," I countered softly. "Some of them have been pardoned from Azkaban. They are just 'inappropriately biased' towards Muggles."

"That's hardly reassuring," Ron bit out as he ran a hand through his bright red hair.

"Ron, I have to do this," I told him gently as he stood anxiously before me. "This is the only thing I need, and then I can get a Departmental Head job at the Ministry. Shacklebolt said I could probably get any one that I wanted!" Ron stared at me with his deep blue eyes before reaching his hand down to lay it carefully over mine.

"Hermione," he whispered urgently to me so that Harry and Ginny couldn't hear. "It's too dangerous." I rolled my eyes at his worry and tried to pull my hand out from his, but he didn't relinquish his grasp.

"Do you know who you'll be watching?" Ginny asked from behind Ron. Ron's face instantly darkened as he kept his gaze locked with mine. I felt his grip tighten over my hand as he stared at me expectantly.

"Oh, umm, yes," I admitted. "The Minister had the list right there." My three friends waited in anticipation. I raised the hand that Ron wasn't holding up to my mouth. I began to bite the nail of my index finger.

"Well," Ginny broke the silence. "Who is it?" I dropped my head into my hand. There was no way that this was going to go over well.

"Draco Malfoy," I murmured gently. The room went silent. Even the buzz of the other Gryffindors surrounding us seemed to dim.

"You're going to spend six weeks making sure Malfoy doesn't kill himself in the Muggle world?" Harry asked, incredulous. Ginny bit her lip as she fought back whatever she wanted to say. Ron was eerily quiet. He stared at me for a long moment. His ears were burning a brighter red than his hair. He pulled his hand away from mine in a gesture of reproach.

"This is ridiculous," Ron muttered angrily as he walked back to his chair. He sat in it silently, refusing to meet my gaze.

"It's not like I picked Malfoy," I defended myself. "The Minister gave me the first name on the list. And so, now it's my job to keep Malfoy safe in the Muggle world and to keep him from exposing magic."

"Let him die," Ron said darkly from the corner.

"Ron!" I shrilled. He turned his cloudy gaze to me.

"It's nothing more than he deserves," Ron said simply. I rubbed my forehead tiredly.

"Ron, we don't know Draco. He could have changed," I reasoned. Ginny quirked a red eyebrow at me.

"Then he wouldn't be in this program," she pointed out. I bit my tongue. Ron continued to glower from his place in the corner of the common room. Harry looked distraught.

"When will you be leaving?" Harry asked me quietly. I twirled a brown curl in my hands.

"I'll be leaving right after graduation," I told them. "The Minister is coming, and he will bring a portkey for Draco and me. We won't be allowed to have any outside contact, save in the event of an emergency." My friends visibly slumped at the news.

"Where will you be going?" Ginny wondered from her spot beside Harry. I licked my lips.

"Well, I don't know, exactly. The Minister said that the location had to be a secret for our safety," I admitted slowly. Ron's face contorted even further at the mention of my safety.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Harry questioned sincerely. I gave what I hoped was a brave smile.

"Yes, I'm sure. I can out-hex Malfoy any day. It should be no trouble to control him in the Muggle world," I said for the benefit of my friends, but it was also to reassure myself. Ron's face had contorted from anger into pleading.

"Hermione," he whispered. "Please don't go." I stood up from my chair, and my sooty robes fell around my feet.

"I'm sorry, Ronald," I said as I turned for the staircase that led to my room. "I have to." And with that I left my friends sitting in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for all the support! I am so sorry about the speed at which this story is progressing. I feel highly unmotivated. But I shall work on that.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter

The Beginning

Hogwarts graduations are extravagant affairs. The staff really goes all out when preparing for them. I was standing on a stage at the front of the Great Hall surrounded by the other Seventh Years. The entire room had been changed.

The tables were all moved to line the sides of the room. Hundreds of chairs sat facing the front of the Hall. Our House banners waved in pride from the ceiling. After searching for several minutes, I spotted my parents in the crowd.

They stuck out a bit in their Muggle clothes. Most Wizarding parents had worn robes to the occasion, but my parents didn't have any, of course. They were dressed nicely though. They sat in chairs under the Gryffindor banner and were staring in amazement at the enchanted ceiling. I smiled fondly at the look on their faces as they watched the clouds roll by above them.

The graduation was drawing to a close as McGonagall stepped to the front to give us some final words of parting. She looked a bit different after the war. Her robes hung a bit looser, and her hat seemed to fall into her eyes a bit more, but there was an unshakeable gleam in her eyes. She turned those wise eyes to the graduates as she finished her speech.

Thunderous applause filled the Great Hall. Families everywhere rushed up to congratulate their students. I was encircled by a pair of familiar arms.

"Congratulations, Darling," my mother cooed as she hugged me to her. I gave her a smile once she released me.

"We're very proud of you," my father said sincerely as he wrapped me up in his arms.

"Thank you," I whispered. I looked for a moment at my smiling parents. I gave into the urge to hug them both again.

"You'll do wonderfully at your internship. When do you have to leave?" My mother asked. I had told my parents that I was going to be participating in an internship for most of the summer. That seemed like a better idea than telling them I was in a babysitting program for ex-convicts.

"In a few minutes," I admitted sadly. My mother brushed some of my hair away from my face.

"You'll send one of those owls with letters, won't you?" she asked. Her brow was a little scrunched as she tried to understand the logic behind birds delivering mail.

"I'll probably be able to call you through the telephone," I told her. Her face instantly brightened.

"Really?" she asked excitedly. I nodded my head.

"Yes, my internship is actually in the Mug—umm, the non-Magical world," I explained to my parents. Their faces stretched into smiles at the news.

"We're very proud that you've already gotten this offer, Hermione," my father beamed at me. I gave them both a kiss on the cheek.

"I've got to go. Remember, Harry will aparate you home. Just hold on to him tightly," I reminded them firmly. My parents hugged me goodbye and slipped away to find Harry. I worked my way through the crowd as I tried to spot the Minister. I spotted him laughing jovially with a group of older Wizards. As I tried to approach him, I felt a hand upon my shoulder.

"Granger," a cold drawl hit my ears. I turned to face the icy grey eyes of Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy," I said flatly. Draco ran an anxious hand through his platinum blond hair.

"Are you ready?" he asked me nervously. I nodded my head to show that I was.

"Did you pack any Muggle clothes?" I asked Draco indicated my famed beaded bag that I was carrying with me. He scrunched his nose at me in disgust.

"I don't own any Muggle clothes," Draco clarified. I bit my lip.

"You're going to be living with Muggles for six weeks, Malfoy," I reminded him. "You'll need to blend in." Draco shrugged a shoulder noncommittally and readjusted the book bag that I assumed contained his belongings.

"Where's Shacklebolt? I want to get this over with already," Draco muttered as he peered through the crowd for the Minister.

"Have you said goodbye to your parents?" I asked him casually as we jostled our way through the group of people.

"They didn't come," Draco said emotionlessly. I turned to look at him, but his face was void of feeling.

"I'm sorry, Malfoy. I'm sure that they're proud of you," I said quietly to Draco. Draco shrugged a shoulder.

"It doesn't really matter either way," Malfoy said morosely. I was about to tell him exactly why it did matter when a booming voice interrupted my thoughts. Shacklebolt was there in soothing blue robes. He smiled brightly at Draco and me.

"Are you two ready?" Shacklebolt asked. Draco and I nodded our heads as Shacklebolt led us outside of the Great Hall.

"This will really be a wonderful experience," Shacklebolt rambled calmly. "For the both of you. Probably life changing."

"I doubt that," Draco murmured softly, but the Minister didn't seem to hear him.

"Ah, here we are," Shacklebolt stopped in the middle of a deserted corridor. He pulled an ordinary looking quill out of his pocket and grandly presented to Draco and me.

"Minister, you're sure?" I asked him quietly. My eyes glanced quickly over to Draco before looking with the Minister's.

"Of course, Miss Granger," Kingsley said firmly. "The two of you will be living as Muggles for six weeks. Miss Granger is going to record your progress, Mr. Malfoy. We've taken the liberty of setting up everything you'll need in this program."

"Brilliant," Draco bit out. I bit my nail.

"I'll be needing your wands," the Minister stretched out his other hand. Reluctantly, Draco and I surrendered our wands to him. Shacklebolt pocket the wands and turned his attention back to the quill.

"Grab hold and be careful out there," the Minister admonished. "Remember, no one is to know where you've been transported. You'll have to figure that bit out for yourselves. Should you need assistance there is a bit of Floo powder hidden where you'll be staying. Use it only for emergency Floo calls." I swallowed hard before grabbing the feather of the quill. Draco did the same, and soon there was an unbearable pull on us.

The portkey dropped us off outside of a tiny house. With a thump, we both landed upon the hard ground. Looking up, I noticed the house was white with a bit of spring green trimming. The yard was nothing special, just some grass without flowers. Draco and I got up off of the ground and walked resolutely up the walk to the door. I twisted the handle tentatively. It was unlocked.

Pushing the door open, we entered into the house that was to be our home for the next six weeks.


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow. It's been forever. Sorry about that. I could bore you with a bunch of excuses, but the point us THIS IS AN UPDATE! YAY! So, thank you for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

The Discovery

Draco and I stepped through the door of our new house. It was a simple place. There were a few pictures adorning the walls. I was studying a gritty painting of what appeared to be flowers when a voice sounded.

"You must be Hermione and Draco," I jerked my head up in surprise. An elderly lady with a kind smile reviewed us from her chair in the sitting room.

"Oh, umm, yes. Hello," I said as I blushed. "Sorry for just popping in like that. I'm Hermione." I walked up to the woman with my hand extended. She gently took my hand and laughed.

"It's quite alright, Dear," she said as she stood to her feet. "I'm pleased to have two new borders." Borders? So the Ministry was making us stay with this woman. I just gave her a smile as Draco stared at her wide-eyed. "I'm Sheryl Brown. Let me show you around." Draco and I followed mutely behind the woman. She took as past the sun room and pointed to the door that was her room.

She gave us a brief overview of the rest of the house. There was a kitchen, a living room with enough seats for four people, two bedrooms, and a bathroom.

"I normally stay in my sunroom and in my bedroom, so you kids can feel free to roam around the rest of the house," she smiled. I nodded my head slightly.

"Is that all you brought?" she gestured to our bags. I fumbled to think of an excuse. We had brought a lot, but there was no way to explain how we had fit it all into our bags.

"Well, umm," I stuttered. A light went on behind Sheryl's eyes.

"You must have the rest of your belongings in your car. You did park in the garage, right?" Sheryl asked. I nodded my head.

"Perfect," she said. "Feel free to look around and to make yourselves at home. The television is free to use, you can adjust the air conditioner, use the telephone. Rent is due at the end of each week, since you're only staying for six weeks. I'll see you for dinner at six, unless you have any question?" Draco and I shook our heads in unison. Sheryl gave us another of her sweet smiles and then disappeared back to the sunroom.

Draco and I exchanged a glance and set off in different directions to explore the house.

The kitchen was an unsightly, cheery yellow. There were ugly curtains in the window that were the same murky yellow as the walls. There were four chairs by the table. I opened the cabinets to find that Draco and I had just enough dishes for the three of us.

"At least the dishes are clean," I muttered to myself. In the corner of the kitchen were a washing machine and a dryer. We also had a refrigerator, an oven, and a microwave. After I finished inspecting the kitchen, I moved to the bedrooms.

They were both the same. One was grey, and one was blue. They both had a bed, a dresser, and a desk. Nothing very fancy or over-furnished.

I stepped into the bathroom. It was a dusty pink color. There were horrendous Muggle photos of what appeared to be kittens in a basket. These photos graced the wall by the mirror. I turned up my nose at the paint that was peeling and the ugly tile that surrounded the bathtub. The place looked sanitary, but it certainly wasn't upscale.

I met Draco in the living room. We had been furnished with a bookshelf, a sofa, two chairs, a coffee table, and a television. The entire room was brown and purple. The sofa was a deep shade of violet and had a brown blanket thrown over the back of it. The walls were painted a cinnamon shade of brown, and the drapes were the same deep purple as the sofa.

"So this is a Muggle house," Draco observed the room with a disgusted sort of curiosity.

"Yes, it's not a very nice, but it's not horrible either, if that helps you form an opinion," I told him. I was starting to sweat. It was rather warm in the house so I pulled my hair into a ponytail.

"Why in Merlin's name is it so warm in here?" Draco questioned as I wrapped the elastic band around my hair. Apparently, the heat made him irritable. Fantastic.

"I don't know, but we can turn on the air conditioner," I told Draco as I walked to the thermostat. I turned it down. I vaguely noticed that the temperatures were set in Fahrenheit degrees instead of Celsius, but that must have just been a programming error. I could set it properly after we had settled in.

"The Muggles have learned how to condition air?" Draco asked disbelievingly. I rolled my eyes but nodded my head.

"They've made quite a lot of progress for non-magical people," I told him primly.

"Well, what are we meant to do here now that we've made it to the Muggle world?" Draco asked as he plopped down on our purple sofa. I bit my nail as I thought.

"Well, I suppose that we will both have to get jobs since we have no money," I told him. Draco's jaw dropped open as his eyes widened.

"What do you mean we don't have any money?" Draco asked vehemently. I twisted a curl into my fingers nervously.

"All of our money is at Gringott's," I reasoned. "In the Muggle world, we have no money."

"So you suggest we work alongside Muggles," Draco's grey eyes darkened. I scowled at him.

"Malfoy, you're stuck without your wand somewhere in the Muggle world. It might be best for you if you stopped making derogatory comments about them," I reminded Draco. He sneered at my self-righteous tone but didn't remark.

"How are we going to get a job anyway?" Draco asked me skeptically. I honestly had no idea. Just then I heard a ringing coming from the kitchen. Draco jumped to his feet.

"What's that?" he asked in a worried tone. I chuckled at his reaction.

"It would seem that we have a telephone," I told Draco superiorly. Draco's eyes glassed over.

"Does it sound for approaching danger?" he wondered. I rolled my eyes to stare at the ceiling as I walked into our muddy yellow kitchen.

"Sometimes," I teased Draco who was following close behind me. It's no wonder that I missed the phone the first time that I had entered the room. It was the same disgusting yellow as everything else in the room. I picked it up and gently raised it to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked. I watched in amusement as Draco's face shifted from bewildered to fascinated.

"Hello, Miss Granger?" A voice sounded on the other side of the phone.

"Yes, this is she," I responded. Who on earth would know that I was here?

"This is Janis Kent from the restaurant," a feminine voice sounded through the phone.

"Umm, which one?" Not that it really mattered, but I decided to get as much information as possible. Janis laughed at me.

"The only one!" she said happily.

"Oh." What kind of town only had one restaurant?

"I was calling about yours and Draco Malfoy's applications," she explained. I bit my lip before a thought clicked into my head. The Ministry must have got us jobs.

"Oh," I said intelligently.

"You're hired!" she said gleefully from the other side of the phone. "Can you come by to pick up your uniforms?" I twirled the phone cord in my fingers as I wondered about her funny accent.

"Umm, sure," I agreed. "Yes, I'll be down there in just a moment."

"Wonderful!" Janis exclaimed. "I'll see you in a few." I hung up the phone. I hadn't asked her any directions, which might have been a lack of foresight, but there was also only one restaurant in the entire town so I decided to take my chances.

The next question was how I was going to get to the restaurant. I began to rummage through the kitchen drawers for a car key.

"What are you doing? Who were you talking to?" Draco asked as he carefully sidestepped out of the way.

"That was our future boss. Apparently, the Ministry got jobs for us. We have to go pick up our uniforms so I trying to find car keys. If we have any," I added.

"I found a key," Draco announced as he pulled a set of keys off of a peg above the phone. I smiled at him.

"Perfect," I announced. "Let's see what we drive." I found a door on the other side of the refrigerator and gently pushed it open. It revealed a desperately empty garage save for one rusty, black truck. I sighed as I looked at it. It certainly wasn't very appealing. It was then that I noticed something strange.

"The steering wheel is on the wrong side!" I exclaimed as I tried to get into the car.

"What does that mean?" Draco asked from his post in the doorway. Obviously, he got irritated when he was confused as well.

"I'm not sure," I admitted as I walked around to the front of the car to inspect the license plate. Suddenly, everything made sense. I now knew why the thermostat was in Fahrenheit and why it was so hot and why the steering wheel was on the wrong side and why Janis spoke differently.

"Oh, Merlin no," I whispered. Draco looked at me with concern.

"What is it?" Draco asked worriedly. I ran a hand through my bushy hair as I tried to calm my breathing.

"We're in America. For Merlin's sake, we're in Texas!" I shrilled.

The Ministry has left two British Wizards without their wands stranded in the deep south of America. Dear Merlin. We were going to die.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Bet you didn't see that one coming. So, not only have a made this a Dramione in America story, but now it's a Dramione in Texas story. Why, you ask? Well, all the Dramione in America stories are about New York or California. I've never read a Texas one before. So, now you know the working of my mind. That being said I also picked Texas because it seems like there are a TON of fun things that I can do with Dramione there. So, I'm sorry if you are from Texas (or England, for that matter) and my lack of knowledge about wither place offends you. It's only for the humor of the story. I'll try to keep the stereotypes to a minimum. Let the record show that I love England and Texas, and this is only a story. Thank you for reading.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter

"We're where?" Draco asked in a mixture of horror and disbelief. I sat down roughly on the concrete ground of the garage.

"Texas. It's a state in America," I whispered as I cradled my head in my hands. Draco leaned against the garage door frame as he took a steadying breath. We both sat in contemplative silence for a few moments before Draco seemed to find his voice again.

"What are we going to do?" Draco asked nervously as he ran a hand through his platinum blond hair. I let out a deep sigh before rising slowly to my feet.

"We're going to go pick up our uniforms," I told Draco calmly. "We have a job and a house. The Ministry says that we have to keep our location secret, and I highly doubt anyone will suspect we are here." Draco stared at me evenly through the course of my speech.

"And we're going in . . . that?" Draco gestured to the rusty truck. I stared at the truck in distaste.

"That's our only mode of transportation," I shrugged my shoulder. Draco nodded his head and approached the truck cautiously. He pulled the door open and slowly crawled inside of the automobile. I went to the driver's side.

It is an odd experience for a Witch to operate a car. The experience grows increasingly strange when the car is set up incorrectly.

"So, you've operated one of these things before, right?"Draco asked nervously from his side of the car. I bit my lip as I inserted the key into the ignition.

"Well, I have driven before, but never in a vehicle quite like this one," I admitted as I started the engine. It sputtered for a few moments before humming to a start. I sighed. The Ministry was certainly keeping to a strict budget in their program.

I gently pulled out of the garage. The slight movement caused Draco to grip the side of the car in terror. I couldn't help the smile that was working onto my face.

I drove the car from our driveway onto the road. I maneuvered the automobile smoothly down the road in the direction that I hoped was town. Draco stared in fascination at the passing scenery. I was starting to relax as the soothing feeling of driving took over.

I had just let out a deep breath when I saw a car coming at me head on. I gasped as I jerked my car out of the way and into someone's driveway. Draco let out a cry of indignation, and the other driver blared his horn as his car raced past me.

"What was that?" Draco demanded irately from his post in the passenger's seat. I bit my fingernail as I thought through my actions. I smacked my forehead with my palm as I let out a cry of frustration.

"I was on the wrong side of the road," I said sheepishly. Draco looked at me crossly.

"I thought you said that you knew how to drive!" Draco yelled at me. I huffed indignantly as I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I do know how to drive!" I said defensively. "I'm just not used to driving in America." Draco started muttering darkly so I tuned him out. I carefully backed out of the driveway that we were parked in and slowly started driving down the correct side of the road.

We passed a few more houses when we came upon a medium sized building that appeared to be a school. I turned to give Draco a smile.

"There's a school," I pointed out to Draco. "I think we're headed in the right direction."

"Fantastic," Draco breathed darkly. I pursed my lips at his attitude but chose not to say anything.

We passed by a few official buildings and, to my delight, a public library. We passed a couple of fast food restaurants and then I spotted it. The Restaurant. That was literally the name of the establishment. I openly stared as we parked in the lot.

"I'm pretty sure that this is it," I told Draco as I turned off the engine. Draco stared at The Restaurant.

"This is where we work?" Draco asked me stoically. I nodded my head slightly. Draco and I slowly clambered out of the truck and walked up to The Restaurant.

The Restaurant was an interesting looking business, to say the least. The windows advertised varying foods ranging from Mexican dishes to sushi to Chinese. The Restaurant certainly was acting upon the claim of being the sole restaurant in town. It was a nice enough building. It was with a shaky hand that I reached to pull open the door.

A bell jingled over head as Draco and I slowly walked into The Restaurant. A young, redheaded woman was bent over a book. She raised her head to look at us.

"Hello," she greeted vaguely, as one would greet a stranger. I tried to give her a friendly smile.

""Hi," I said brightly as I extended my hand to her. "I'm Hermione Granger." The redhead's face immediately twisted into a smile.

"Oh, nice to meet you," she said as she shook my hand. "I'm the manager, and I suppose your future boss, Janis." She turned to shake Draco's hand. Draco's lip turned up in distaste, but he shook her hand anyway.

"You must be her friend, Draco, right?" Janis asked kindly. Draco sent me a withering glance, but I returned his look with a stern one of my own.

"Yes, this is my friend," I said firmly.

"I must say, the two of you had outstanding applications," Janis gushed. "I can't think of two more qualified employees." I considered that for a moment. Obviously, the Ministry had forged our applications to get us the job. The thought crossed my mind that there might have never been any applications at all. Maybe the Ministry just charmed Janis into thinking that we worked here. Janis reached behind the front desk she had been reading at.

"Here are your polo shirts and your name tags. Just wear jeans and comfortable shoes. I also have your work schedules. You begin in two days," Janis directed as she handed us both the listed articles.

"Perfect," I smiled. Janis tilted her head and gave me a smile.

"I love your accent," she complimented. I was a bit taken aback.

"I like yours too," I returned awkwardly. Janis gave me a smile before motioning for Draco and me to follow her.

She walked us around The Restaurant. We followed her through the maze of tables as she explained the numbering system to keep track of orders. She showed us the kitchens and pointed out where the bathrooms were. Soon, we were back at the front.

"I'm so glad that the two of you are working here. We needed more waiters," Janis observed as she leaned casually against the front desk.

"Waiters," I repeated. Good. Now I knew what Draco and I would be doing.

"I'll walk you through your first night. Be here at 5:30," Janis directed us. "It's really no big deal. Our business mostly just serves the regulars in town. We don't get a whole lot of tourists." No, I imagined that they didn't.

"Alright," I nodded my head.

"I suppose that's everything," Janis said happily as she sat back down behind her desk.

"Well, thank you," I smiled at her. Janis just waved her hand. Draco and I called our goodbyes as we walked back out through the door.

"Well, that was interesting," I observed as Draco and I sauntered back to the rusty truck.

"We're waiters," Draco muttered sullenly. I bit my lip as I stared at him.

"So it would seem," I whispered as we slowly began our way back home. I grimaced at the thought of where my home was.


End file.
